Mechanical pencil with lead storage unit



Jan. 11, 1949. M. E. SAVOIE MECHANICAL PENCTL WITH LEAD STORAGE UNIT Filed Aug. 25, 1945 INVENTQR.

Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT QFHCE MECHANICAL PENCIL WITH LEAD STORAGE UNIT Mark E. Savoie, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 25, 1945, Serial No. 612,590

2 Claims.

My invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in mechanical lead pencils and more particular inthose mechanical pencils which have a lead propel mechanism, a lead storage magazine, and an eraser propel and retract mechanism incorporated within the barrel of the pencil'.

An object of my invention is the provision of a lead feeding mechanism and a storage magazine with the lead storage magazine slidably and removably mounted within one end of the barrel of the mechanical pencil for holding the lead feeding mechanism.

Another object of my invention is the provision of certain improvements in mechanical pencils of the type having an eraser propel and retract mechanism on one end thereof and a lead propel mechanism on the other end thereof with a lead storage magazine therebetween.

Another object of my invention is the combination of a lead storage magazine and a lead feed mechanism in which the extra lead may be stored about the feeding screw sheath portion of the lead feeding mechanism. I

A further object of my invention is the provision of a lead storage magazine in a lead propel mechanical pencil with cooperating means whereby the storage magazine and the lead propel or.

feeding unit may be removed from the barrel to obtain a lead from the extra supply of lead.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my mechanical lead pencils;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 showing the features of my invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the lead feeding tip in removing the lead storage magazine from the barrel of the mechanical pencil;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of my lead storage magazine illustrating the support member.

which supports the lead feeding tip;

Figure 5 is a modification of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken alon the line 66 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view in reduced scale of the closure cap used in my lead storage magazine.

means for having a lead storage magazine within the barrel of the pencil and still having a large supply of erasing material without increasing the length of the pencil over that of standard mechanical pencils. In my mechanical pencil the lead storage magazine is mounted within the end of the barrel and supports the lead feeding mechanism. The space about the lead propelling screw sheath within the barrel is utilized to store extra leads 21. These leads may be re moved from the lead end of the pencil without disturbing the eraser mechanism.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, and in particular Figures 1 and 2, my mechanical pencil in comprises in general a pencil barrel "which has a propel and retract eraser mecha- Manufacturers have generally sacrificed the size barrel.

nism l2 on one end thereof and a lead feeding mechanism and a lead storage magazine on the other end thereof. Extra leads 2']! are carried in the storage magazine. For purposes of reference and clarity in my description and the accompanying claims, I have designated that end of the barrel which supports the eraser mechanism l2, as the eraser end I5, and that end of the barrel which supports the lead storage magazine [4 and the lead feeding mechanism It as the lead end 16 of the barrel. The lead storage magazine M, which is slidably mounted within the barrel supports the lead feeding mechanism iii. ...The eraser mechanism It, as illustrated in the drawings Figure 2, is fully described under the application filed concurrently herewith by the same inventor and entitled Eraser holding mech anism. However, it is understood that any suitable eraser mechanism may be used in the pencil without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in this application.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the lead storage magazine is constructed from a cylindrical shell 23 which has an open end 2| and a closed end 22. A closure cap 2%, which may be inserted in the open end of the shell, prevents the extra leads 2? from leaving the stor age magazine while it is inserted in the pencil The closed end of the shell 22 has a support member 25 which externally supports the cylindrical shell and internally supports a lead feeding screw sheath 26. The support portion or support member 25 has an annular flange vthereabout and intermediate the ends thereof.-

The fastening portion 3|, on one side of this annular flange, engages the closed cylindrical shell 23 for supporting the same. The shell 23 may be fastened to the support member by a press-fit or by, other suitable means, such for example soldering. The external support portion 30, on the other side of this annular flange 28 freely projects into the lead feeding tip 36. The outer diameter of the cylindrical shell 23 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the barrel I! to provide a frictional engagement therebetween.

The lead feeding screw sheathhas an elongated tubular portion 32'and a non-circular portion 33. I have-provided an opening 29 in the center of the support member 25. The elongated tubular portion 32 of the lead feeding screw sheath extends through this opening and isfastened-thereto by a press-fit or other suitable means, such for example, soldering. The elongated tubular portion 32- as shown in Figure 2, has an opening 3 5 in the wall thereof. The lead feeding mechanism 13 1s supported by the elongated tubular portion 32:. This support results from-the fact that the sleeve 37 is frictionally insertable into the tubular portion 32, whereby the feeding mechanism may be pulledoif for inserting a new lead and: whereby the tip 38 may be turned with respect to the barrel. The non-circular portion is that portion which isenclosed within the cylindrical shell 23;. As is shown in the Figures 2 and 6, the actual storagespace within the lead storage magazine isthe space about the non-circular'portion 33* of the lead feeding screw sheath 25.

My lead feeding mechanism i3 includes a leadfeeding tip 355' which has an internally threaded lead feeding screw sleeve 3! and a lead propelling the barrel to prevent the storage magazine from; being pushedfarther therein. Similarly, theend of thelead feeding tip 36 engages the flange 28"; thusmaking an externally neat appearing article of manufacture. the pencil are in this position, the internally threaded lead feeding screw sleeve 3? extends intotheelongated tubular portion 32 of the lead feeding screw sheath 261 The lead' propelling screw extends upwardly into the non-circular portion 33 0f the screw sheath 26;

I" have designed a hook 46' on the end of the lead propelling screwwhich extends into the lead feeding screw sheath 28'. The purpose of this hooli is twofold. One purpose is to-provide coopcrating means between the screw and the screw sheath for preventing rotational movementtherebetween; The sheath 26 is kept from turning with respect to the barrel H! by the friction between the barrel and the magazine which supports the sheath. The friction between the sheath 26 and the barrel is greater than the friction between the elongated tubular portion 32 and the lead feeding sleeve 37'. Theoperator of the pencil thus-may propel lead from thefeeding tipof 'the pencil by merely turning the feeding tip withrespect to the barrel.

The second use of the hook 46 on the end of thelead' propelling screw 38 ismostclearly shown in Figure 3. Here'the lead storage magazine isshown partly removed from the end of the barrel.

While the component parts of 4 To remove the lead storage magazine from the barrel, the operator first pulls the lead feeding tip 36 off the end of the pencil and then engages the hook Mi into an opening 3:3 provided in the external elongated tubular portion 32 of the lead feeding screw sheath 25. The next operation is simply to pull the lead storage magazine from the end of. the barrel. Afterthe magazine has been removed, the hook may-be used to remove the cap 26 from the open end of the shell 2| to obtain another lead. I have illustrated this cap in Figure '7 as having an opening 55 in the center and anopening 56-on' the corner thereof to provide means for the hook to engage the cap. However, it is understood that any suitable cap or closure means may be used to enclose the end of this-shell.

In Figure 5, I illustrate the use of a modified form of the support member 25 and the elongated tubular portion 32 of the lead feeding screw sheath 26. In this modification, the support member 49 has a cone-shaped external portion 52. to bring the. surface from the diameter of the cylindrical shell to. more nearly the diameter of the elongated tubular portion and at the same time provide a surface which may be gripped by the fingers. To also enlarge this finger-gripping surface,,I have elongated the tubular portion of the lead feeding screw sheath as is designated by number 53. in my drawings. The purpose of this modification is to eliminate the necessity of hooking the screw into an opening in the sheath to pull the lead storage magazine from the barrel.

By providing the, finger-grip surface, it is possible to pull the magazine. from the barrel with the fingers.

Although I have described my invention in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of; the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

This application. is a continuation-in-part. of my application Serial No. 559,037, filed October 17, 1944 now abandoned.

What. is claimed is:

I. A removable lead storage unit for a pencil barrel having an opening in the end thereof and an end surface about said opening, said lead storage unit comprising an elongated cylindrical tube adapted to be frictionally and slidably inserted in the said pencil barrel and having an inner open end and an outer open end, a support member fitted nonremovably in the outer open end to close said end of the tube, said support member having external flange stop means engageable with the end surface of the pencil barrel to limit movement of the elongated cylindrical tube into the pencil barrel, said support member also being provided with an opening therethrough and extending co-axially therewith, and a sheath having a cylindrical portion anchorably fitted in the opening in the support member and also having a noncylindrical portion there? of extending co-axially with and disposed within'the cylindrical tube; the space within the cy- The purpose of the cone-shaped portion is 5 an engagement means for readily removing the support member and the cylindrical tube from the pencil barrel for access to the stored leads therein.

2. A removable lead storage unit for a pencil barrel having an opening in the end thereof and an end surface about said opening, said lead storage unit comprising, an elongated support tube adapted to be frictionally and slidably inserted in said pencil barrel and having an inner open end and an outer open end, a sheath axially disposed within the elongated support tube, a closure member fitted nonremovably in the outer open end of the elongated support tube and carrying said sheath, said elongated support tube, said sheath and said closure member constitute a removable unitary structure with the space outside of the sheath and within the elongated support tube providing a magazine storage space for leads and with the inner open end of the elongated support tube providing access into the lead storage magazine, said closure member having an external flange abuttableagainst the end surface of the pencil barrel to limit movement of the unitary structure into the pencil barrel and also having an opening extending co-axially therethrough, said sheath having an anchoring portion anchorably fitted in the opening in the closure member and extending outside the closure member and beyond the elongated supporting tube for providing engagement means for readily removing the unitary structure from the pencil barrel for access to leads stored therein.

MARK E. SAVOIE'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 196,270 Trask Oct. 16, 1877 1,929,969 Deli Oct. 10, 1933 

